In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. We also grow a smaller number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘Red Princess III’.
In 2005 we made a first generation hybridization using ‘Bright Princess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,695) peach as the selected seed parent and ‘7P1’ (unpatented) yellow flesh peach as the selected pollen parent. Upon reaching maturity the fruit of this hybridization was gathered, and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified, germinated, and grown as seedlings on their own root in our greenhouse facility. Upon reaching dormancy we transplanted them to a cultivated area of our experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2009 we selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original tree in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, ‘Bright Princess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,695) peach, by being self-fertile, by having a large blossom, by having reniform leaf glands, and by producing peaches that are mostly red in skin color, yellow in flesh color, and globose in shape, but is quite distinguished from it by producing peaches that are non-melting instead of melting in texture, that have a bitter instead of sweet kernel, and that ripen about eighteen days earlier.
While the present variety is similar to its pollen parent, ‘7P1’ (unpatented) peach, by being self-fertile and by producing fruit that is mostly red in skin color, yellow in flesh color, clingstone in type, and globose in shape, but is quite distinguished from it by producing fruit that is much larger in size, that is much firmer in texture, and that matures about eighteen days later.
The present variety is most similar to ‘June Time’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,530) peach by being vigorous, by having a large tree, by having reniform leaf glands, by being self-fertile, by having large blossoms, and by producing fruit that is nearly globose in shape, nearly full red in skin color, yellow in flesh color, large in size, and non-melting in texture, but is distinguished therefrom by blooming earlier, by requiring less chilling hours, and by producing fruit that has a bitter instead of sweet kernel and that matures about ten days earlier.